Padre Martinez: Broker for Non Violent Conquest-1847 Taos Uprising

[The following is an earlier version of the essay published under the title \"Begetting the Mexican American\" in Seeds of Struggle, Harvest of Fatih, LPD Press, c. 1998, pp. 345-72. Permission from Publisher and my own as author to use for educatonal purposes.]

PADRE ANTONIO JOSE MARTINEZ:

BROKER FOR NON VIOLENT CONQUEST

AND THE TAOS UPRISING OF 1847

by

Rev. Juan Romero

INTRODUCTION

The year 1998 will mark the fourth centennial of the founding in northern New Mexico of the second oldest European settlement in what is now the United States. This importance of this anniversary is highlighted because of its close proximity to two other significant events: the 150th anniversary of the 1846 American occupation of New Mexico, and the coming of the new millennium which is upon us. Antonio José Martinez, born in Abiquiu, New Mexico when it was still a Spanish province, was about seventeen years old when Padre Miguel Hidalgo in 1810 uttered his cry for independence from Spain. By the time independence was realized in 1821, Martinez had become a young widower and was studying for the priesthood in the Durango seminary. The influence of Padre Hidalgo upon Padre Martinez was shown by a sermon the New Mexican priest preached at the cathedral in Santa Fe. This took place in 1832, eleven years after Mexican Independence and sixteen years before the American occupation of New Mexico. Padre Martinez praised Padre Hidalgo for his role in the independence of the Mexican people. Martinez compared Hidalgo to the Macabees of the Old Testament who unsuccessfully fought so valiantly against their Greek conquerors in order to keep their language, religion, and cultural identity.

Padre Martinez grew up in Taos, and served as its priest for forty-two years. He witnessed many changes culminated in the transitions brought by Mexican American War,...